Cam action wrench

ABSTRACT

A CAM ACTION WRENCH HAVING A GRIPPING HANDLE AND A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE JAWS SECURED TO THE GRIPPING HANDLE. THE GRIPPING HANDLE HAS A HAND-ENGAGING END AND A BIFURATED JAW-ENGAGING END WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A JAW MEMBER CAPABLE OF MODEST PIVOTAL ROTATION RELATIVE TO THE GRIPPING HANDLE. IN ADDITION, THE HANDLE IS PROVIDED WITH A COARSE ADJUSTING LUG WHICH IS COUPLED TO AN AXIALLY MOVABLE JAW, A LINK MEMBER BEING UTILIZED TO ESTABLISH THE COARSE ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN THE AXIALLY MOVABLE JAW AND THE COARSE ADJUSTING LUG. THE STATIONARY JAW IS PREFERABLY PROVIDED WITH A THRU-BORE FOR RECEIVING THE FREE END OF A THREADED MEMBER UPON WHICH A NUT IS BEING TURNED.

Jan. 26,: 1191 1 lllm 1 Hil ' .J. E.,I'ENGEL CAM ACTION WRENCH I .Filed Aug. '7. 19

In J

INVENTOR. .d H/M E 0651 *United States Patent Oflice 3,557,645 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 3,557,645 CAM ACTION WRENCH Joachim E. Engel, 10348 York Lane, Minneapolis, Minn. 55431 Filed Aug. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 750,989 Int. Cl. B25b 13/16, 13/28 US. Cl. 8191 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cam action wrench having a gripping handle and a pair of relatively movable jaws secured to the gripping handle. The gripping handle has a hand-engaging end and a bifurcated jaw-engaging end which is adapted to receive a jaw member capable of modest pivotal rotation relative to the gripping handle. In addition, the handle is provided with a coarse adjusting lug which is coupled to an axially movable jaw, a link member being utilized to establish the coarse adjustment between the axially movable jaw and the coarse adjusting lug. The stationary jaw is preferably provided with a thru-bore for receiving thefree end of a threaded member upon which a nut is being turned.

The present invention relates generally to a cam action wrench, and more particularly to a cam action wrench which has a pair of relatively movable jaws coupled to a gripping handle, one jaw being mounted for pivotal rotation relative to said gripping handle, the other being mounted for both pivotal and axial motion relative to said gripping handle. The wrench structure provides a system by which pressure is increased across the jaw members as torque is being applied to the gripping handle.

Cam action wrenches are desirable whenever nuts are being turned which may have surfaces incapable of being turned by conventional wrenches. In addition, the structure is adjustable in order to provide a wrench which is usable over a wide range of nut and bolt sizes. Both square and hexagonal nuts may be turned with this structure.

Briefly, the cam action wrench of the present invention comprises a gripping handle having a pair of relatively movable jaws coupled to one end thereof. The jaws include a pivotally movable jaw which is secured to the handle through a bifurcated end zone, along with an axially movable jaw which is capable of pivotal rotation as well, and which, upon being pivotally rotated relative to the handle, moves axially toward the other jaw. As a feature of this cam action wrench, a thru-bore is provided in order to receive the threaded member upon which the nut is being turned. One further feature includes a springloaded ball and detent which is utilized to hold the jaws generally in axial alignment with the gripping handle axis.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cam action wrench which includes a pair of relatively movable jaws, the jaws being capable of receiving a coarse adjustment, one to another, and being capable of axial motion toward one another, the motion being applied by a force which increases as the torque being applied to the wrench increases.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cam action wrench which is provided with a pair of relatively movable jaws, the jaws being capable of receiving either square or hexagonal nuts, and being further provided with a through-bore for accommodating the free end of a threaded member upon which the nut is being turned.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cam action wrench which is pro vided with a pair of relatively movable jaws, one of the jaws being coupled to a coarse adjusting lug which employs an internally threaded sleeve disposed adjacent to the gripping area of a gripping handle.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the cam action wrench prepared in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wrench structure shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 being on a slightly enlarged scale, and showing a portion of the gripping handle broken away;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of a ball-and-detent structure utilized to maintain axial alignment between the jaws and the gripping handle, this figure being taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the jaws pivoted axially from the disposition of FIG. 2.

In accordance with the preferred modification of the present invention, the cam action wrench generally designated 10 includes a gripping handle 11 along with a pair of relatively movable jaws 12 and 13. The jaws 12 and 13 are coupled to the handle 11 by individual link- I age means, jaw 12 being coupled by means of the pin 15 which extends through the bifurcated end 16 of the handle 11. The extension arm portion 17 of the jaw 12 contains a bore as at 18 for receiving the pin 15. A coarse adjusting lug is shown at 20, this being an internally threaded sleeve which has an abutment surface as at 21 for making contact with a similar abutment surface on an abutment sleeve 22. Sleeve 22 is free to move axially relative to the member 20. Sleeve 22 carries a pin 24 along one surface thereof, pin 24 being disposed adjacent a flat or plateau area as at 25. Link 26 spans the zone between pin 24 and a second pin member 27. Pin 27 is coupled to the axially movable jaw 13, again along a plateau area as shown at 28 to permit pivotal or rocking motion of the link 26 relative to the jaw 13. With particular attention now being directed to FIG. 3, a bore is provided adjacent the bifurcated end of the gripping handle 11 as at 30, this bore carrying a spring biasing member 31 which engages the ball 32. Ball 32 is adapted to engage the detent 33 formed in the extension arm portion 17 of the jaw member 12.

With attention now being directed to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the jaws 12 and 13 have nut and bolt gripping surfaces, such as at 35 and 36. These nut and bolt gripping surfaces have a V zone as at 37 and 38 respectively, these V zones being adapted to receive square bolts, when required. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the thru-bore 39 is provided to receive the free end of the threaded member upon which a bolt or nut is being turned.

In order to utilize the cam action wrench of the present invention, the user will place the jaws about the surface of the member to be turned, and the internally threaded sleeve 20 will be rotated so as to move the jaws 12 and 13 into substantial gripping engagement with the member being turned. At that time, the user will apply torque, as required, to the gripping handle in order to more firmly engage the surfaces of the member being turned. As this torque increases, the jaws 12 and 13 shift or rotate pivotally relative to the gripping handle 11, jaw 12 pivoting about pin 15, jaw 13 which encloses the extension arm portion 17 being pivoted about the same member. Since the link 26 couples the movable jaw 13 to the gripping handle at an axial point removed from pin 15, the arcuate rotation of the jaws will be accompanied by an axial movement of the jaw 13 in a direction toward the jaw 12. This is due to the fact that jaw 13 is coupled at its pin 27 to a point along the axis of the gripping handle by means of link 26, the axial distance between coupling points being greater than the distance from the pin 27 to the pin 15.

The structure is significant in that as torque is being applied to the jaws by means of the gripping handle, the force urging the jaws 12 and 13 together is increased as the pivotal rotation of the jaws relative to the gripping handle increases. In operation, therefore, as the torque increases, the force urging the jaws together will similarly increase.

It will be appreciated that the force urging the jaws 12 and 13 together is applied through link 26 by means of pins 24 and 27. Various modifications of this camming system may be employed or used by those skilled in the art.

Whenever the free end of the threaded member upon which this wrench is being utilized extends a substantial distance bore 39 is adapted to receive this member in order that the wrench may be suitably employed without damaging the edges of the bolt or nut being turned.

I claim:

1. A cam action wrench comprising a gripping handle and a pair of relatively movable jaws secured to said gripping handle in pivotal relationship at a first pivot point located along one end of the gripping handle, the jaws being disposed along a common central axis with said gripping handle and in mutually opposed relationship, one to another, and defining a certain jaw axis therebetween, said jaw axis being arranged normal to said central axis;

(a) said relatively movable jaws including first and second jaw members with the first jaw having an extension shank portion secured to said first pivot point the second jaw member having a sleeve portion generally confining said shank portion and maintaining said jaws in coaxial disposition, one to another, the pivot axis of said first pivot point being parallel to said jaw axis and intersecting said common central axis;

(b) coarse adjustment means disposed along said gripping handle and including an axially movable member coupled to said second jaw and including first pivot means arranged to permit pivotal rotation of said second jaw relative to said gripping handle and link means having second pivot means pivotally coupling said second jaw to said coarse adjusting means, the pivot axis of said first and second pivot means having a normal disposition intersecting said common central axis;

(c) said link means being secured to said coarse adjusting means by said second pivot means at a point along said gripping handle spaced from and disposed toward said gripping handle from the location of said first pivot means.

2. The cam action wrench as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that a transverse thru-bore is formed along said extension shank portion immediately adjacent said first jaw and at a point between said first and second jaws.

3. The cam action wrench as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that means are provided for releasably holding said extension shank portion in axial, alignment with said gripping handle.

4. The cam action wrench as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said coarse adjustment means includes an internally threaded sleeve disposed in abutting relationship with an abutment sleeve with the abutment sleeve having a certain first pivot pin comprising a portion of said first pivot means secured thereto, the

sleeve portion of said second jaw having a certain second pivot pin comprising a portion of said second pivot means secured thereto, and said link means coupled to said first and second pivot pins and extending therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,784 11/1891 Buzzell 81-91 1,573,722 2/1926 Logan 8l-91 1,697,764 1/1929 Heinz 8l167 2,800,045 7/1957 Mann 8191 2,912,891 11/1959 Nelf 81-167 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

